Infrared radiation detectors have become particularly important for the capability of producing images at night and through haze and smoke. Conventional imagers have large area detector elements for each picture element (pixel) of an image. Each such detector element has length and width dimensions which are longer than the wavelength of the radiation that it captures. A conventional detector of this type is shown in "Semiconductors and Semimetals," Vol. 18, Mercury Cadmium Telluride, Academic Press, 1981, pp. 162-163.
Although conventional infrared detectors can successfully produce useful images, they have serious limitations in their operation. For a given input power of incident radiation, the resulting signal strength of these devices is relatively low. Further, conventional devices must be operated in a very cold environment to produce usable image signals.
Therefore, there is a great need for an improved infrared detector which can produce a greater amplitude signal with less requirement for complex cooling apparatus.